Need to do a whole lot more?

[deleted1040417]

Experience is my biggest concern. So I want to keep this experience wise although I still need to write the MCAT, and have a 3.72 GPA with a goal of getting into my state DO or MD school. Looks like by the time applications roll around I project to have:

~600 hours scribing (will be moved to telescribing for the meantime starting January due to COVID)
~30 hours shadowing primary care
120 hours volunteering
some TAing (grade exams and reports) + a couple other TA positions in past
600 hours research (with poster presentation)

Is this poor? Do I need to ramp things up? I didn't realize I wanted to do medicine until late in the game (although I was a biology major) and had a hard time finding worthwhile experiences. I did volunteer at a clinic but they only had me on clerical tasks and gave patient exposure so I left after 3 months of that (although I got to watch how they ran the clinic as a team).

I think I will raise a redflag because majority of the experiences I've listed are coming from less than a years work (besides the shadowing and some TAing).

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pinkfluffybunny]

Hi! I'm actually in the same boat, I have a super similar GPA to you and honestly really similar stats (600 clinical hours, 1000 research hours, 70 shadowing, 150 TA...weirdly similar wow) and I spoke to my advisor about it and he said I could write a really powerful personal statement about why I made the switch to medicine. I think a good MCAT and great PS will really help and not raise red flags but that's just my opinion! I also still need to take the MCAT but DM me if you want to talk about applications

 

[deleted1040417]

Hi! I'm actually in the same boat, I have a super similar GPA to you and honestly really similar stats (600 clinical hours, 1000 research hours, 70 shadowing, 150 TA...weirdly similar wow) and I spoke to my advisor about it and he said I could write a really powerful personal statement about why I made the switch to medicine. I think a good MCAT and great PS will really help and not raise red flags but that's just my opinion! I also still need to take the MCAT but DM me if you want to talk about applications

Hoping that is the case! Goodluck to yourself as well. I was projecting my own hours by time of application -- if those are your legit number I think you're solid for 5-6 months time.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Experience is my biggest concern. So I want to keep this experience wise although I still need to write the MCAT, and have a 3.72 GPA with a goal of getting into my state DO or MD school. Looks like by the time applications roll around I project to have:

~600 hours scribing (will be moved to telescribing for the meantime starting January due to COVID)
~30 hours shadowing primary care
120 hours volunteering
some TAing (grade exams and reports) + a couple other TA positions in past
600 hours research (with poster presentation)

Is this poor? Do I need to ramp things up? I didn't realize I wanted to do medicine until late in the game (although I was a biology major) and had a hard time finding worthwhile experiences. I did volunteer at a clinic but they only had me on clerical tasks and gave patient exposure so I left after 3 months of that (although I got to watch how they ran the clinic as a team).

I think I will raise a redflag because majority of the experiences I've listed are coming from less than a years work (besides the shadowing and some TAing).

You check pretty much all the boxes. Sure, everyone would love to have more longitudinal experiences but your numbers are not neccesarily low. Crush the MCAT and you should have a good resume.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[deleted1040417]

You check pretty much all the boxes. Sure, everyone would love to have more longitudinal experiences but your numbers are not neccesarily low. Crush the MCAT and you should have a good resume.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

Thank you so much! I'm hoping to get into my state DO school really badly! I'm trying to pre-write secondaries as well and polish them overtime. MCAT is a pain but I'm trying to push it. Content review is going good have yet to do passage questions (besides CARS).

 

[PapaGuava]

Thank you so much! I'm hoping to get into my state DO school really badly! I'm trying to pre-write secondaries as well and polish them overtime. MCAT is a pain but I'm trying to push it. Content review is going good have yet to do passage questions (besides CARS).

Your application looks great so far!

I would just make sure to spend a good amount of time doing practice questions as you get comfortable with the content. It will become less important to know every little detail and more important in understanding how to work through the MCAT-style questions.

 

[deleted1040417]

Your application looks great so far!

I would just make sure to spend a good amount of time doing practice questions as you get comfortable with the content. It will become less important to know every little detail and more important in understanding how to work through the MCAT-style questions.

Thank you for the boost of confidence. Right now I am just doing CARS passages and plan to review 6/12 chapters for Bio, Chem, and Physics then start practicing passage questions and review biochem and o-chem as well as the other chapters as needed. Biochem and O-chem are the only subjects I feel confident on since it's still fresh.

 

[PapaGuava]

Thank you for the boost of confidence. Right now I am just doing CARS passages and plan to review 6/12 chapters for Bio, Chem, and Physics then start practicing passage questions and review biochem and o-chem as well as the other chapters as needed. Biochem and O-chem are the only subjects I feel confident on since it's still fresh.

That’s good to hear! Having Biochem fresh is a big plus. Physics may be the most annoying to review for depending if you enjoy it or not

 

[deleted1040417]

That’s good to hear! Having Biochem fresh is a big plus. Physics may be the most annoying to review for depending if you enjoy it or not

There are some aspects of it I like -- I hate some semester 2 topics like circuits though.

 

[datboi_58]

Experience is my biggest concern. So I want to keep this experience wise although I still need to write the MCAT, and have a 3.72 GPA with a goal of getting into my state DO or MD school. Looks like by the time applications roll around I project to have:

~600 hours scribing (will be moved to telescribing for the meantime starting January due to COVID)
~30 hours shadowing primary care
120 hours volunteering
some TAing (grade exams and reports) + a couple other TA positions in past
600 hours research (with poster presentation)

Is this poor? Do I need to ramp things up? I didn't realize I wanted to do medicine until late in the game (although I was a biology major) and had a hard time finding worthwhile experiences. I did volunteer at a clinic but they only had me on clerical tasks and gave patient exposure so I left after 3 months of that (although I got to watch how they ran the clinic as a team).

I think I will raise a redflag because majority of the experiences I've listed are coming from less than a years work (besides the shadowing and some TAing).

That's a solid amount of experience lol

Just a note because you said you decided to do medicine late: INCLUDE your other experiences in your application.

 

[deleted1040417]

That's a solid amount of experience lol

Just a note because you said you decided to do medicine late: INCLUDE your other experiences in your application.

I don't really have other experiences -- I only worked part-time at a fast food place and quit on bad terms going into my sophomore year. Besides that, I got nothing, unfortunately.

 

[mvsrocks]

A bit more volunteering would help imo. Everything else looks good

 

[deleted1040417]

A bit more volunteering would help imo. Everything else looks good

3 acceptance! Congrats! I am sure being Gemini gave heavy points your way!

 

[mvsrocks]

3 acceptance! Congrats! I am sure being Gemini gave heavy points your way!

Thanks! I think being single this year helped me more since I had more time to work on essays

 

[over]

we are almost the same except i have more volunteer hours and less research. i will also be TAing in my spring semester.
i feel like i don't have much on my application too. applicants like us have no hook and might as well have a premed tm next to our names lol

 

[Bored_Conscious]

For the most part, everyone will have a similar looking application. Some sort of clinical experience, volunteer experience, some research, and shadowing.

Of course there will be some small differences like hours, awards, variety, longevity, pubs, etc. but the bread and butter for 95%+ of the applicant pool looks like the same applicant. But, that is how it is...because that is what the adcoms are looking for.

What differentiates you and other premeds with basically the same bread and butter application is how you write about your experiences. So, no, you check all the boxes. How well can you write about it though?